Replacing the water pump: remove cam gears??

[EdNerd]

I'm just getting started on my adventure to replace the timing belt in my new-to-me 2007 Aveo (85k miles). Since no one seems to have the Haynes or Chilton for this (stupid me! I thought it would have been published and readily available!), I've been reading the threads here over and over.

One item I'm not sure about it removing the water pump to replace it. (I bought a kit that came with a new one. Previous experience with my Toyota Camry tells me it's cheaper to replace the pump now than go back in there later.) I'm reading that removing the inner plastic cover makes removing the pump easier. But to do this, you have to remove the gears off the cam shafts??

I also bought the tool that's supposed to hold the cam gears in position so they don't shift after removing the timing belt. But if I have to remove the gears, then this tool is useless, yes?? And without the gears attached how *do* you keep the cams from moving??

Obviously, I'm not that far into the repair yet, so I have no visual for this. I'm just trying to do the next step correctly, instead of correcting the last step!

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Ed

[Daox]

As long as you can remove the inner plastic shield I don't see why the gears would have to be removed. Here is a pic from when I swapped an 07 engine into my 05. The water pump is the small pulley on the left side.

From thread: http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/f103/...tml#post128492

[EdNerd]

Thanks for the pic, Daox. I do remember previously reading your thread. The cover looks like it will slip right out from underneath the pulleys. Is that correct?

From that picture, there appears to be only one bolt holding the cover?? (Just to the right of the water pump in the picture.) Or would there be another bolt if the heads were on?

Ed

PS - I was also just kind of wondering if that cover might survive being separated into upper and lower?

[EdNerd]

Inspecting a bit more (after a good night's sleep -- best tool in the box!!), it looks like there's three bolts holding that inner cover on.

The easy one at the bottom:


One behind the left cam gear:


And one behind the right cam gear:


(Edit: found another one on the lower right)


The left bolt is the booger - you can only reach it by rotating the cam gear so one of the holes lines up with the bolt so you can get a socket on it. Or you *might* be able to get a crow's foot on it. If I rotate the gear around, I'll have to remark the timing belt - not a big deal; just wish I'd seen this coming first.

But then there's still the question of the cover slipping out from under the cam gears, as your picture suggests? Or do the gears still have to come off??

Which is more hassle?
Taking off the inner cover?
Or bending the cover to remove the pump?

Ed

[EdNerd]

Okay - proceeded cautiously. Bending the cover has worked for most others, so there is no reason (other than Murphy!) why it should not work for me.

And it did go okay. I heard ominous pre-cracking noises from up by the cam gears, and it took some fiddling to get the pump out. But it was easily done in about 10 minutes (for me and *my* water pump) with holding the cover with one hand and juggling the pump with the other. And the new one slid in easy too.

Still thinking about making that one cover into two!
Ed

[Daox]

Great to hear you got it replaced Ed!

[xintersecty]

yeah that sucks. I had issues trying to fit my tool into the bolt holes behind the cam gears. I had to take mine off to get to them. sigh.

[EdNerd]

So .....
Right below the gears is a ridge in the cover.
Wonder what would happen if that cover separated just above or below that?

Of course, if one still remembers the bolt problem when the next time comes,
one can always simply remove the left side bolt before locking the cams in place.

(Note to self, because I'm sure to come searching before I try this again!!)
Ed

[WyrTwister]

You said you had 85k on the engine . Did you replace the belt & pulleys , also ? While you had things apart ?

By the way , there are several videos on this on YouTube , that others may find helpful .

I saw one video on a car that had the belt and pulleys intact . The owner rotated the crankshaft until all the timing marks were where they should be . He took something like white out and painted the 3 marks on the belt and sprockets , white .

He was also changing the belt . Then he put the new belt and the old belt together & marked the new belt in white . When he put the new belt on , he aligned the white marks on the sprockets & the new belt .

From what I see on our 2015 1.8l sonic , the water pump on it is driven by the serpentine belt . So , when the time comes to do the belt & pulleys , I will not have to mess with the water pump .

God bless
Wyr

[zchandran]

I use the method that WyrTwister just mentioned. I bent the plastic cover to change the water pump on my first timing belt change in 2010. I just changed it again last weekend, but did not bother changing the water pump. This is strictly personal preference, but I am going to remove the camshaft pulleys next time, because that would have been quicker than the hour I spent fiddling around trying to get the water pump in without cracking anything.

The cam lockdown tool is great to have when you put the timing belt back on. The cam pulleys might not align exactly due to cylinder compression, so sometimes it's hard to get the timing belt on and make sure everything matches with the whiteout marks. The lockdown tool will keep them from turning one or two teeth.